Service Industry Workers and Pandemic Recovery

Recovering from a Pandemic brings lots of changes.  One of the largest work forces that are feeling some effects are the people that work in a service industry.  Waiters, drivers, hotel clerks, cooks, airline pilots, the list goes on and on.  These work force members that have returned (or never left) to work are shouldering a burden that was unforeseen.  Short of staff, supplies, and more.  Many don’t take the time to consider that there are many people still afraid of returning to work for a multitude of reasons.  Hopefully, this will help everyone see and appreciate those that are trying to perform their job duties in a trying time.

Please read our short Public Service Announcement and share with your friends!

PSA – please check on your friends and family in service industries today.  They are not ok.

Please consider the following when you are doing business with a service industry business.

  1. They are not lazy, slow, or unmotivated. If they are working, they are working more hours than usual because so many people are NOT working!
  2. Don’t ask “Why don’t you just hire more people?” They have thought of that and tried.  We promise you!  We are trying.  Small businesses across the Country are offering incentives that they, most likely, cannot afford just to get people in the door.
  3. If you see empty vehicles, empty tables, slow check ins, etc., it does not mean we are not busy. It means we are handling everyone in the most efficient way we know.  We will get you a ride, a meal, a room, or whatever you are paying us to do as quickly as possible.

We are exhausted, stressed and frustrated.  Just like you.  Maybe more.

Please be as kind and understanding as possible.  WE don’t choose to run our business this way.  Actually, we hate it more than anyone!

WE will get through this, we hope!  We are proud to make our living providing service to our customers!

Thank someone in the service industry today!  They will appreciate it more than you may ever know!

Cab Drivers

A member of the rock band KISS, a modern classical composer, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, a manager at a large heating and air conditioning company, an IT Security professional, and thousands of everyday people all have one thing in common. At some point in their lives, they needed a job. All of these people made a living driving a cab. For some it became a career for others a stepping stone to a new place in life.

Taxicab companies are forever searching for drivers.  As the founder of Yellow Cab of PWC said “It is the best part time job in the world!” Most drivers, world-wide, are independent contractors.  This means that you work for yourself.  You set your own hours.  You decide how much you make.  Have an unexpected expense, drive a little longer, it’s a nice day and you want to go fishing, go and enjoy.  The only boss you will anger is yourself when you miss that fare to the airport.

A good cab driver is one that practices good customer service skills always.  Helping load/unload groceries and packages, holding doors and polite exchanges all help the customers’ experience.  The better the experience the more likely that the cab driver and company earn a repeat customer.

Like a good bartender a good cab driver knows how to listen, how to make small talk, and when to do each.  Some customers prefer the anonymous feeling of riding with a quiet driver while others like scintillating conversation and an animated back and forth.  Learning to read passengers will make this job more lucrative as tips increase and passengers start to request drivers.    Having loyal customers that prefer one driver over another allows drivers to build their customer base and their income.

There are several ways to join the driving profession.  We offer daily leases and weekly leases where the company pays for the vehicle, insurance and maintenance. We also offer owner operator opportunities (you own the vehicle and pay a small dispatch fee).  Occasionally there is even a chance for lease to own openings.

If you are looking to make a little extra cash in your spare time, come see us today and start the best part time job there is!  It can be a pretty lucrative full- time job too!

 

 

Family, by Blood or not.

Most of our followers know Yellow Cab of PW is a family owned and operated business.  We often talk about how our staff and drivers are part of our extended family.  We don’t often tell stories of how passengers become as close as family to some drivers.

In our over 40-year history, drivers have become lifelong friends, caretakers and adopted family members to strangers that just needed transportation. We have been fortunate to watch these acquaintances, that start with a ride, grow into deep, loving, and long-lasting friendships.

Lou has been with us for many years and has lots of stories to tell.  The story of Lou and Kathy is one of my favorites and says so much about Lou’s heart.  Lou and Kathy met when he took her to work.  When she retired from her job, they remained friends.  Lou was there when Kathy lost her mom and her fortunes changed.  He helped her find a new job that would help her out and keep her busy.  He found her a place to live when she needed a new home and as her health faded, he took her everywhere, doctor’s appointments, grocery trips, pharmacy runs and even social events.  This friendship and deep abiding love ensured that when Kathy fell very ill someone was there to care for her.  All because of a cab ride, Kathy had “family” with her at the end of this journey called life.

Chad is another great driver and an asset to Yellow Cab. He has had several families adopt him.   Chad has a big heart and there is so many good deeds he has done, that I am unsure where to start.  He keeps us laughing with his wonderful sense of humor and his Facebook posts. Most of all his amazing heart always makes us smile.  He became a member of the Drake family.  He had dinner with them and celebrated birthdays and was recognized by them with an amazing letter delivered to the Prince William County Board of Supervisors.  He provided a passenger with a voice mail so that she could hear her mom’s voice one last time.   He isn’t sure today, why that voice mail wasn’t erased but it made a daughter’s wish come true.  He has assisted passengers into houses in unusual ways, helped out with groceries, made passengers comfortable by propping up their legs, and so much more!  He goes above and beyond to help everyone.  There are many other stories and families that Chad has loved, assisted and most importantly brought a little sunshine and laughter into their lives.

Randy is a family member that decided to driver part time just to have something to do.  During the pandemic he would deliver toilet paper to passengers that were having a hard time finding it. He was known to make special trips to help people get medicine and groceries. One afternoon, we received a call from an elderly lady,  inquiring about her upcoming reservation.  Unable to find her reservation, we chatted for a bit and soon found out that she had entered her request with a different company.  We told her that we would gladly take her but she would need to cancel the other reservation first.  Fast forward a couple of weeks and she calls to schedule the trip.  Randy is dispatched to take her and her dog home.  It is a trip of several hours and by the end Randy and Ms. B were great friends.  She asked if he would take care of her dog should she pass and he said absolutely.  They talked on the phone frequently over the next few months with Randy checking in to make sure she didn’t need anything or just calling to say hello and make her smile.  Ms. B passed away recently but her dog is in a loving home as she wanted and Randy has a living, loving reminder of his time as a cab driver.

Robert started driving for us at age 23.  He is still here. Still driving and still helping people.  He met his wife here and has 2 wonderful sons that we have watched grow into nice young men.  Robert’s passenger Alex hadn’t been to the movies for many years because health conditions led to him being in a wheelchair.  Robert decided to take time in the middle of the day to take Alex to see Fast and Furious 7.  He knew this series of movies was a favorite for Alex.  When they got to the concession stand at the movies and they handed Alex an empty cup and popcorn with no butter, Robert was thrilled to show him he could get as much butter as he wanted and fix his own drink.   Robert once had a fare where he had to assist someone with the remains of a beloved family pet.  The lady was amazed at the kindness and sympathy a total stranger extended to her.  Robert also assisted many other passengers that became good friends.   There was Bob, going for food and errands on a daily basis.  Mrs. D. was another weekly trip to the beauty salon and shopping for groceries.  Robert would carry in her purchases and put them away. She always made sure she bought him a half gallon of ice cream!  Robert has many other stories too.  He has always treated this as a job and a way to help people.  He says it may not seem like much to those who see this but to the people he helps it is sometimes everything.

So many stories that we don’t have the time and space to share.  Some of these things, seem so inconsequential, just basic human kindness. Little things that touch people’s lives and make them a little easier or brighter.   Kindness and caring, it still exists here and we see wonderful examples of it on a daily basis.

Small Business Owner

I plunge toilets, but I am not a Plumber.

I  work on air conditioners but I am not a HVAC worker.

I change light bulbs and do light electrical work, but I am not a Maintenance Engineer or Electrician.

I switch hardware, trouble shoot software and do the occasional update and computer reboot but I am not a Computer Technician or IT worker.

I plan marketing campaigns, design advertisements and manage social media accounts but I am not an Advertising Executive.

I have checked oil, water, and light bulbs and even changed a tire or two, installed and uninstalled equipment in vehicles but I am not a Mechanic.

I have painted offices, put together furniture, helped my husband replace flooring but I am not a Painter or Carpenter.

I do payroll, file (and pay) taxes, complete profit and loss statements and balance sheets but I am not an Accountant by trade.

I listen to people and try to give them the best guidance possible but I am not a Counselor.

I manage a health care plan but am not in Human Resources.

I answer phones and greet people but I am not a Receptionist.

I send vehicles to where people need them but I am not a Dispatcher.

I sell goods and services but I am not in Sales.

I am a small business owner.  I do all of the above and more.  I take the good with the bad.   I am always trying to find a way to give back to the community in which I am a part.  I just do what needs to be done.  Most of the time when it needs to be done, but sometimes things get put on the back burner because I get busy with other things.  I have wonderful employees that help me accomplish all of this and more.

Sometimes this career happens by birth and sometimes people decide to try something new and end up as their own boss.  No matter what business we own, it becomes a 24 hour a day job, 365 days a year.  We may take time away but we are seldom “off” the clock.  We provide jobs and help the local economy.  Small business owners work hard to provide for their families and employees.  Most of the time our employees become part of our family, even if they don’t start out related to us.  It is a rewarding life. A good year makes us love our job while a bad one can make us want to give it up.  We usually struggle through and persevere, and hope for better fortunes in the future.

I love my job, my employees,  my customers, and my community.  I am a small business owner.

Shop Small Business – Ride Local!

24/7

Twenty four hours a day……what was my grandpa thinking!?!?

Most people think of family businesses as those quaint little mom and pop shops, restaurants, even certain trade businesses like plumbers and electricians. What in the world is a family owned and operated cab company? How does that start? How does that work?

I want to give you a better understanding of how we started. What brought my sister, my brother, my mother and myself to the place we are today, third generation taxicab company owners.

My grandpa was a stubborn man. He could actually be quite ornery. From what I understand, his father was not much different and had built himself up from a chicken farmer to a lawyer with no formal college education, just dogged determination and a set of law books that he read to pass the Virginia Bar Exam. He and his wife, my great-grandmother had my grandpa later in life. He was the apple of his mother’s eye, and so he lived what many would consider to be a pretty good childhood. When he wanted a car, his father made him promise if he got him one he would drive him to work. He would, for a short time, then the car would be wrecked, and he got another, and his dad was walking to work before long. He was spoiled. His mother passed away when he was 18, and his father passed a short few years later. One would think that all his parents had built would have gone directly to him and he would be alright, but my grandpa didn’t get his stubbornness from thin air, it was genetic, and it was definitely handed down. When my great-grandpa died, his will excluded his only son from inheriting anything. It instead passed everything on to his grandchildren, implicitly stating that his son did not know the value of a dollar.

My grandpa, at the time of his father’s death, already had one child and another on the way. Any inheritance he may have hoped for was not going to happen. He had to find a way to support his family. He went to work repairing radios that were commonly used in trucks, taxi’s and homes (think of it as chat rooms, pre-internet). In this line of work he got to know the owners of several cab companies, and soon went to work as a dispatcher part-time. The dispatching part time, soon lead to a position as a manager for a local company. It was a few years later when an opportunity to purchase his own company arose. The Mountjoy family owned a cab company that operated in Prince William County and they were looking to sell it. After my grandfather passed and we were looking through some of his papers, we found his calculations and were able to see exactly how he made his decision. He purchased Radio Cab in 1978. As I mentioned before, owning a cab company is hard work. Being open 24 hours requires that someone be in the office 24 hours. My family was, at that point, also operating the Greyhound bus depot in Triangle, so they multi-tasked the space there to handle both operations. Five cabs don’t seem like a lot, but we soon had to relocate. In total, to this moment, we have had seven different offices, although we have been in our current office for 20 years or more. Soon five cabs wasn’t enough to take care of the whole county, so the fleet increased. Later private owners came to be big part of the company. My grandpa went from a boy cut out of an inheritance to operating his own company with more than 60 Yellow Cabs.

I’d like to finish the story by telling you he retired and moved to an island where he perfected his golf game, but he was prone to sunburn, and while he loved golf, I didn’t think he’s make the seniors tournaments. He passed away in 2004. He did, before he died, finally get the Cadillac he always wanted. I’d like to think that when he got to Heaven, his dad was there waiting for him, ready to shake his hand and tell him that he did it, and he did it all on his own, just like he hoped his son would.

Post Script

Found this on Joanna’s Desk top after she left to pursue her dream job of High School English teacher.

Ride Share companies have hit our industry hard. We were at the top of our game when this was written and have experienced a significant down turn. Not a family that sits and cries over tough times, we have picked ourselves up, and found ways to make it work (and cried some to be totally honest!). We are still here, providing traditional taxi service and more. Joanna still comes in when she isn’t teaching, Monica is still here helping with day to day operations and although Richie moved on to a job closer to home and family he is still willing to help out when we need him.

We still love what we do and hope that everyone will remember us. A small family owned business that has served the citizens, visitors and guests in Prince William County for over 40 years.

Remember to Shop Small Business and Ride Local!

Oh The Places We Go……

Most people think of taxi service as local trips and service to the airport, bus station, or train station.  That is the large majority of our trips here at Yellow Cab.  We service all types of riders.  From the people that need to pick their car up from the shop, the mom that is having a rough morning (her kids missed the bus and now her car won’t start),  someone who is having outpatient surgery and shouldn’t drive, the elderly neighbor that needs to pick up some groceries, the business person going out of town and the family leaving on vacation, we provide safe affordable rides to these and many other customers performing everyday errands.

Sometimes we get the pleasure of taking a passenger on a special trip.  Maybe they don’t enjoy flying.  Some want the comfort of a vehicle with a favorite driver.  Others want to take a pet along.  They travel as they wish, sleep if they need to, go at their own pace, stop and smell the flowers, stretch their legs and enjoy the scenery.

In our 40 year history we have been to many destinations for many reasons.

Once we had a lady that didn’t want to be separated from her pet, they traveled to Ontario.  We are not sure who enjoyed the trip more, the dog, passenger or the driver!

Another trip took a veteran to a hospital in Indiana.

We took an elderly passenger to Ocean City to visit her old home and friends.

Casino trips to Atlantic City and Charles Town Racetrack in West Virginia, all before MGM and Maryland Live were built.

New York City is a favorite destination, as is Virginia Beach.

We have taken people to Florida, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and even Jackson Mississippi!  Trips to Upstate New York, Ohio and North Carolina too.

So please remember, we are your locally owned and operated cab company and we will get you where you need to be!  No matter where it is you wish to go!

What Is Family?

My name is Joanna, I am the General Manager of Yellow Cab. I have been with Yellow Cab since I was born. Yes, really. I used to come with my mom, now owner, Tammy, when she came to work. I’d visit my Grandpa, then owner, Corky. I’d listen to the radio and all the calls that would go out. Occasionally, if my dad was here and we were short drivers, I would go out and ride along on calls and meet our customers face to face. I remember a lady in Triangle, almost across the street from our office, right off of route one giving me a quarter tip one day when I was probably 3 or 4. I don’t recall her name, but if she is reading this, thanks again! I remember there was a cot in the office then, we were still required by law to be open 24 hours a day, but there weren’t ever many calls that came in overnight, so napping was allowed. Often, in the early days, it was my grandpa sleeping on the cot, waking up to take a call, getting in the cab and getting a customer, then coming back to take more calls or another nap. He’d go home and shower just to come right back to work. We could walk across the street to McDonalds for lunch, and I remember also getting candy from the 7-11 with my grandpa. All of those buildings, even our first office, are gone now. Then, the drivers would hang out in the office and a few of them I remember. What I remember the most about all of it was laughing. My Grandpa, my mom, the drivers, and other people who worked there, we laughed. It was hard work getting started, a lot of long hours, most of which I was too young to remember, but it seemed to me a fun place to be.
When I look back on it now, I am proud of the work that my family has done. My family is the people I am related to, obviously, but it is also the people that walk through these doors every day. We have drivers that have been with us for 30+ years, call takers and dispatchers who we’ve been blessed to work with for 15+ years. These men and women are my family. We have accomplished so much together. We have watched our industry change from writing down trips on paper, cash transactions, and radio dispatching, to apps, and computers, and GPS, and backseat swipes. We have implemented those changes sometimes with a happy heart with no problems what so ever. Although, I will admit, some of those changes had us sleeping at the office, crying and screaming. Once we figure it all out, we’re right back to where we started, laughing with our family.
I wrote this blog so you could see the personal side of all this. I wrote before that when you need us you can chose to talk to a machine, book through an app, or online. We are so much more than the technology we have, though. We are my sister, our office manager, who is getting married soon to our daytime dispatcher, and our overnight dispatcher who recently got married, and our daytime operator who is getting married even sooner and better hurry up and get everything done in time! We are the driver whose wife just had twins last week. We are the Duke graduate that works here part time. We are the band that make up the daytime operator and midnight dispatching shifts. We are the single mom who has supported three amazing kids that we all love. We are the dad working here and another job to support his kids. We are the driver who has put his kids through college and just went home recently to say good bye to his mom. We are the operator who sang kick butt karaoke the other night! We are the college boy who worked here while he finished school and just became a dad. We are the operator and wordsmith of emails that always entertain. We are the dispatcher who is trying to get a job with the 911 operating center and we are all pulling for him! We are the driver who fled his country at a young age with his mother who dressed as a man to keep them safe and had no shoes as she walked over mountains to protect her children. We are people. We are a family. We have grown together. I want the best for all these people. I appreciate them all. I am proud of every single one, even if they are not listed here.

Thank You Independence Empowerment Center!!

richie

 

This past weekend we were involved with the Independence Empowerment Center’s ADA Fair. This event celebrates the signing of the American’s with Disabilities Act by President George Herbert Walker Bush on July 26th, 1990. This law was the first inclusive civil rights law that addressed the needs of the disabled population of the United States. The law was created to eliminate the obstructions that existed for those with disabilities in the areas of employment, public services, public accommodations, and telecommunications. The sweeping legislation tore down the barriers that limited those with disabilities from being active and involved citizens in their communities.
Being a part of the ADA Fair is something that we always look forward to. Dr Mary Lopez, the director of the I.E.C. (Independence Empowerment Center) has become a friend of Yellow Cab and our family. She is a wonderful, fun, and spunky lady who always makes us laugh, but has also been essential in fighting for the rights of those in the county with disabilities. It was through our interactions with the IEC, its partners, and Dr Lopez, that we decided to purchase our first accessible vans.
When you seek to be a part of something, like we do this community, and you see there is a huge unmet need, you do whatever it takes to address it in the best way you can. Our accessible vans cost more to purchase, more to insure, more to train drivers to use properly, but we pushed all of that out of our minds, went with our hearts, and did what we knew was needed and right. It was one of the best things that we have ever done. The vans have been an amazing asset to the people that need them. People now have the ability to get where they need to go without being charged the astronomical rates that previous non-emergency medical transport companies would charge. The people who drive the vans have formed friendships with the people they are driving. In some cases they have been all but formally adopted into their passenger’s families. We are servicing people who truly need this transportation to be a part of their community. We cannot express in words how grateful we are to be able to provide the much needed service. We also cannot say thank you enough to the IEC and Dr. Lopez for showing us how important and necessary these services are to this community.
While hot, very hot, I mean BLAZING hot, the event was as wonderful as ever. Dr Lopez and her team at the Independence Empowerment Center always get together just the right mix of people, companies, and organizations that really care about the disabled population of Prince William County. The vendors this year were no exception. We were able to meet with our customers and discuss things we are doing to help, and things we can do to better help. There were many people there that have become old friends of our company and we were able to make new friends as well. We love the smiling faces and caring hearts we always encounter at this event. The auction is also one of our favorites and while we didn’t spend as much this year, we think we were the big winners yet again!
Thank you Independence Empowerment Center and Dr. Lopez for the invitation to participate in your event again this year. We look forward to coming to many more and if you keep inviting Phat Yummies you may have to fight us not to come!

A grandma from Virginia, a Belguim Immigrant, and a factory worker…..

mcdonalds 1

When you walk into just about any McDonalds in the United States, you know what you are getting. The McNuggets in California are the same shape as the ones in Virginia, the special sauce on the Big Mac is the same (it’s some form of thousand island, right?), the food is the same. The employees all wear similar uniforms, the décor is mostly the same, some are older, some are newer, but most people know a McDonald’s when they see one. I can say with 100% surety that this is not the case with taxicabs.

So, what do a Grandma from Virginia, a Belgium immigrant and a former factory worker have in common……no they don’t all own a McDonald’s, but they all own Yellow Cab Companies. Much like McDonald’s anyone can own a cab company, but unlike McDonald’s, most people who own a cab company are not franchisees. These are all independent, mostly small businesses. The cab drivers are for the most part independent contractors that are licensed by the jurisdictions they are operating in. There is no gigantic Yellow Cab building in New York City telling every Yellow Cab that they have to buy a certain vehicle and paint it a certain color. There is no Yellow Cab marketing team that provides us with commercials and marketing tools. It’s just the grandma from Virginia, the immigrant and the former factory worker, standing alone, making decisions that affect their business and their family. The bottom line is sometimes whether or not they will get to cash that paycheck this week, or hold it to pay employees, if they have made enough for their kid to go to that football camp this month, or if they can afford that picnic to let their drivers know how much they appreciate what they do to keep their companies good image.

When you see our commercials for “shop small, shop local” know that, this is what you are getting, Small and Local. We paid for our commercial ourselves, sure we got it on Fivver and it wasn’t THAT expensive, but it still cost our family to let you know what we are all about.

We have a blog!

Ok everyone, here we go!

The people in the know tell us we need to blog to increase our online presence so we are going to give it a try. Think of this as sitting a talking to the owners of a small business. We are family owned and operated so one day you may hear from the “Matriarch” Tammy and the next from the “General Manager” Joanna. Some stories will come from our “Driver Manager” Monica or our dispatch staff, garage staff, drivers and maybe even our customers. We try to treat everyone as family and we want to welcome you to our great big extended family too!

You won’t believe the things that happen here in Yellow Cab land. We hope to enlighten you about on demand transportation, small businesses, working with family, and anything else that comes up as we travel down this road together. We will share pictures and stories, laughs and tears, and hopefully have lots of fun!
Yellow Cab at Iwo Jima Memorial